I have always considered myself a responsible student. I attend my lectures, participate in class discussions and submit assignments on time.

At the beginning of this semester, on a random Wednesday, I decided I was feeling a bit tired, and rather than forcing myself to attend my lectures I stayed home and got some rest. At the time this seemed like a harmless decision, it was one day’s worth of lectures, and it would not be that hard to catch up on. But skipping that one day of classes snowballed into a semester of missed lectures.

I think most students are familiar with the domino effect of skipping, once you miss one class, the rest feel optional. But the more lectures you skip, the easier it is to justify skipping more. I find myself making excuses for every lecture I miss. If I am feeling even slightly tired in the morning, I see it as a license to skip. If the lecture is being recorded, I don’t see the point in attending. If any of my friends will not be there, I see an opportunity to stay home. Any minor inconvenience is enough to convince me to skip my lectures. And the dangerous part is that there are no immediate consequences for absence from lectures. If you missed an exam, the repercussions would be clear. However, with lectures there is no obvious penalty.

I believe that this is why it feels acceptable to skip so much, because there is no sense of urgency associated with classes. No evident difference between going or not going. The real effects of continuous absence from classes will only be seen when tests and quizzes come up. But until then, it is no big deal. I convince myself that I can catch up, I will read the textbook and watch the recordings and go to office hours even though deep down I know I will do none of these things. I think it is just hard to take lecture attendance seriously when there are no recognizable consequences.

How can students get out of this slippery slope? I think the most important step is honesty. Firstly, being honest with yourself about why you do not want to attend the lectures. Do they start too early or end too late? Is the professor difficult to understand? Is the lecture material boring? I believe getting to the bottom of what keeps you away from your classes and fixing those root issues could be useful in building motivation.

Sometimes those small tweaks, like scheduling lectures at an optimum time for you or having a better professor, can really improve lecture attendance.

I also believe that being truthful with yourself about the consequences of skipping can be helpful in fixing attendance. I find that I am enabled by the lies I tell myself about the seriousness of missing so many lectures. I think being straightforward about how detrimental constant skipping can be on your grades will make you more serious about lecture attendance.

If you feel that your temptation to bunk classes stems from something deeper like feelings of pressure or overload, it is important not to diminish these feelings. It is normal to be overwhelmed by the workload and just shut down as a result. Acknowledge that these feelings are valid and perhaps speak with a university counsellor for more assistance.

While skipping classes can be a very slippery slope, it is crucial not to fear missing out on a day of lectures for valid reasons. I think everyone needs a day off every now and then to rest and recuperate. It is just important to be cautious about letting one day turn into an entire semester.